Brewer heading to D.C.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer stands outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010, after attending arguments at the Supreme Court who will decide if the Arizona employer sanctions law is constitutional. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Gov. Jan Brewer will head to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday for a day of meetings on Capitol Hill and a speech to a GOP women’s group.

Brewer will meet on Wednesday with members of Arizona’s congressional delegation, followed by a meeting with U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley. Gubernatorial spokesman Matthew Benson said Brewer and Donley will discuss Luke Air Force Base’s bid to be the home of the F-35 joint strike fighter.

After the meeting with Donley, Brewer will meet again with members of the delegation, and possibly with other members of Congress as well, Benson said.

On Thursday, Brewer will speak at the 2011 Women Working for Change Conference, hosted by Project Go Pink, a Republican women’s organization, in National Harbor, Md. Brewer, who will also be signing copies of her new book at the conference, will join a star-studded roster that includes former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Texas First Lady Anita Perry, author and activist Callista Gingrich, the wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and seven members of Congress.

“I think it’s more an educational opportunity to again reiterate the governor’s commitment to seeing that the F-35 is sited at Luke Air Force Base, as well as some timing issues with regard to the phase-out of the F-16 and trying to make sure the F-35 and the F-16 are kind of in sync in terms of when one is phased out and the other is phased in,” Benson said.

Benson said he isn’t exactly sure what Brewer and the congressional delegation will discuss.

“I would imagine that the IRC will be a major topic of discussion, but certainly not the only issue that’s on their table right now.”

Republican members of the delegation urged Brewer several weeks ago to call a special session to oust Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission Chairwoman Colleen Mathis. Brewer and the Senate removed Mathis from office on Nov. 1.